Bin lid appreciated

The other week, I put my black bin out to be emptied, all intact, and when I came to put my bin back, after coming home from work, one of the lid “hinges” was broken, leaving a wobbly lid.

So I thought, contact Viola for a replacement lid. I phoned and explained that the lid must have been damaged while emptying it.

The lady said she would process my complaint, and I left it at that. I was not complaining, I just wanted them to replace the lid, so the other day, I was contacted by Veolia’s contract supervisor. He said that the crew who emptied the bin said it was OK when they had emptied it, and they had checked the on-board in-cab device, and this has not recorded that the bin was damaged by crew.

I told the supervisor that I just wanted the bin lid replacing, and he said, we don’t do that, you will have to buy a new bin for £20.

I haven’t damaged it, it’s not the money but the principal. I pay my council tax, so I think Veolia should replace it, or if anyone has a spare black bin lid, it would be greatly appreciated.

PJ Hunt

Intake, S12

Immigration targets

Can anybody please explain to me why there is a problem in setting targets for removing illegal immigrants?

J Bunting

Greenhill, S8

Snooker at the Crucible

What about keeping snooker at the Crucible but showing games on a massive screen live at the Arena?

Re: some people having to go to see their GP through stress because of the tree situation. How selfish!

Don’t they realise that doctors and the NHS have enough on their plates without tending to people who have brought the stress on themselves? It’s called “self infliction” I think.

C Froggatt

Wisewood, S6

Gritting his teeth

BBC’S North American editor, Jon Sopel, the most biased BBC male presenter you’ll ever come across, could be seen visibly gritting his teeth when having to give Donald Trump praise for his attitude in helping the get- together between South and North Korea.

Normally, all he does is show his total hatred and contempt for ‘The Donald’ even though he is, after all, a guest in the USA. Another biased and sad BBC employee no doubt on a ‘good screw’ courtesy of the licence payer.

Terry Palmer

South Lea Avenue, Hoyland, Barnsley, S74

Incentive to change?

I read with interest the comments by Nancy Fielder, (The Star, April 27, p3), regarding the necessity to vote in local elections given the struggles of the past to widen the franchise; seemingly even if people feel the only choice they have is between highly undesirable candidates and policies and hence deem them not worthy of their vote.

Thus implying that people either register a protest vote by voting against rather than for a candidate/party, or, choose what they perceive to be the lesser of the evils even if it does mean they may end up supporting a candidate or party whose stated policies they find unattractive and maybe detrimental to them and theirs in the process. Sort of expecting turkeys to vote for Christmas, so to speak.

This begs the question as to whether or not this is a realistic expectation vis-à- vis voters.

Meanwhile, most people become disillusioned by the practice of candidates making promises it turns out they have no intention of keeping, or, simply don’t have the power to accomplish even if sincere.

Whilst in addition nowadays, people perceive no difference between the main parties who dominate proceedings; and hence conclude that it doesn’t matter which party/candidate one votes for, one will still end up with a situation of the more something changes, the more it remains the same. Thus why bother?

Such sentiments are by no means new.

So perhaps if parties/candidates adopted the few suggestions I make and practised what they preached regarding concern for the “common man” rather than further the interests of big business and their own self-interest to begin with, they consequently might induce people to turn out and vote if they felt they had something/someone worth voting for.

In the meantime, I suspect that most people will continue to register their displeasure with the status quo by not voting in local and especially mayoral elections.

This trait will be increasingly reflected in the national elections in future if political parties don’t learn to adapt.

But as the established parties do very well out of the current “system”, then where is the incentive to change?

Michael Parker

Robertshaw Crescent, Deepcar, Sheffield S36

Stems from desperation

Looking at the situation with a reported increase in begging and more disturbing shoplifting has it been caused by the higher prices that we all have to pay?

But the unfortunate in society just cant afford to pay.

It needs the government to take a fresh look at the fat cats raking in millions of pounds and the havenots at the bottom of the pile who apart from near starvation have to face the prospect of shoplifting.

Although I abhor the thought, it seems to stem from desperation, which in this day and age shouldn’t be.

EB Warris

Sheffield, S14

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